Sunday, August 31, 2008

August comes to a close and another Daring Bakers Challenge also comes to an end. This month brought me yet another delicious dessert I had never made before, chocolate eclairs. Now that I think on it I don't think I ever ate one pregan so this was extra special.

I started out in search of a vegan pate a choux recipe. I luckily found my match at Baking Love. The dough came together rather quickly and without much fuss. I ended up using this dough to make the most teeny tiny food yet. To make these really small just use a pastry bag with a large tip to pipe the dough onto the baking sheet into mini puffs or lil' eclairs. These will expand a little but not tons so you can gauge the size of your puff well by the raw dough.

Stir together flour, vegan sugar, salt, and cream of tartar. In a saucepan, bring the non-dairy milk and oil to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the flour mixture all at once, return to heat, and reduce the heat to low. Stir constantly until the dough forms a ball that pulls away from the sides and the spoon and is smooth. Working quickly, remove from heat and add the egg replacer in thirds, beating well after each addition until the dough is glossy, smooth, and pulls away from the sides.

Using a pastry bag, dispense the choux paste onto baking tray. Alternatively, you may use two spoons to form eclair shapes or simply drop spoonfuls to form puffs.

Bake for 10 minutes at 400F, then lower the heat to 350F for another 10 minutes. Turn oven off and allow to cool, with door slightly ajar, for another 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely on racks before serving or filling.

Combine sugar, flour, starch and water in a blender and blend until smooth, transfer to a bowl or measuring cup. Alternatively combine in a bowl and beat until smooth.

In a medium saucepan bring milk to a simmer over medium high heat. Pour about 1/2 c of the hot milk into the sugar mixture and whisk to combine. Add this mixture into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk. Heat this mixture over medium low heat whisking constantly until it begins to bubble. Remove from heat.

Transfer to a bowl and cover to cool to room temperature. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Split your pastries on the horizontal. Place bottoms aside and the tops on a rack over parchment.Glaze should be barely warm, pour or spoon over tops to cover each evenly.Pipe or spoon custard into the bottoms, don't be afraid to mound it up.Place tops over the custard and enjoy!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

After my last post on the Vegan Hundred and reading a few comments on other lists the question came up "what are heirloom tomatoes?" These are heirloom tomatoes. I usually say the uglier the better but it's totally not true. The ones on top look like they have been painted with water colors. These came from the Burlington Farmer's Market. I can't resist, the tomato season won't be around forever.

Beyond the beauty and interesting visuals the taste is amazing. Here is where I say if it's huge and ugly don't be afriad of it. The big ugly ones are soooo good! The little ones you end up eating before you could begin to think of a dish or salad to use them in.

I've grown some of the sun gold, black (the purple-ish ones), and white (the light yellow ones on the right side) cherry toms in my little garden.These big guys go a purple burgandy but stay half green. They are a good thick tomato. Great for slicing.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

The Vegan's Hundred is spreading in the vegan blogosphere as we all consider, "would I eat that?" or even "what is that?"

So as instructed:Your mission, should you choose to accept it:

1) Copy this list into your own blog, including these instructions.2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.4) Post a comment here once you’ve finished and link your post back to this one.5) Pass it on!

Firstly let me get the scotch bonnet thing out of the way. I've felt the heat of a raw raw scotch bonnett. I would have to be paid a significant amount of money to do that. Or maybe take the most miniscule amount per day until it was gone. Might take a year to finish.

I'm over halfway done the list already just by accident. 42 left if my count is correct. A couple things were lucky circumstance. Working for a coffee shop gave me Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee (wasn't cheap though) and a Christmas party I went to once with an ex featured some expensive wines. I couldn't tell you what they were but he wasn't worried about the price tag.

Mara, we need to take a little weekend trip to New York so I can get this Candle 79 thing out of the way. It will be a chore but sometimes you just have to take one for the team.

Thanks to the Samosaman not only have I had a good, authentic samosa but he resently added fried plantains to his farmers market stand. I'll get some tomorrow.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

So I managed to get my hands on a new kitchen gadget. I've never had an ice cream maker and never used one before but after reading a few reviews I knew it would be a pretty safe purchase. I went for the Cuisinart with their reputation and most people seemed to like it over all. I've used it a couple times now and I have to say. This is a good machine. It does exactly what it should. It's not overly loud and as long as you follow the directions you have ice cream in 30 mins to 1 hr.

I haven't come up with a library of recipes yet but believe you me they will be coming. I love this thing! Vegan ice cream pretty much whenever I want it. No added crap. Flavors that may be hard to find, or impossible in vegan versions. Oh yes, there will be much ice cream. I suspect I will go back up to the pant size I just went down from. Who the hell thinks vegans are skinny?

My first creation you ask? This recipe was inspired by my husbands pregan love for Haagen Dazs Rum Raisin ice cream and my stumbling across the blog A Vegan Ice Cream Paradise made this my first "complex" recipe. I say complex lightly because it wasn't difficult. Yes, it can be improved but this came out damn good. I'd buy it.

Soak the raisins in the rum for at least 1 hour but up to overnight. The longer you soak the better.Mix 1/4 cup of the soymilk with the arrowroot, set aside.Heat the coconut milk, remaining soy milk and sugar in a small saucepan. Once the mixture is near a boil mix in the arrowroot mixture. The mixture should begin to thicken. Once this happens remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Set aside to cool.Once the mixture has reached room temperature, drain the raisins reserving 1/4 cup of the rum.Mix the rum into the milk mixture.Freeze the cream in your ice cream maker according to the instructions. Add the raisins in 5 mins before the end of the freezing cycle.

I had to freeze mine in the freezer for an additional 10 mins to get a scoopable ice cream rather than a soft serve consistency.